SBU Diversity Programs

When St. Francis of Assisi entered the hostile camp of Malik-al-Kamil, Sultan of Egypt, in the early 1200s during the Fifth Crusade, his initial goal was to convert the sultan to Christianity. Instead, the two men parted with a new respect for each other's faith and culture.

Their meeting is often referred to as the first real dialogue between Christians and Muslims, and the ability of St. Francis to embrace a perceived enemy as his brother is part of the tradition of understanding and acceptance that guides the community of Franciscans to this day.

Here at St. Bonaventure University, we strive to walk in the footprints of St. Francis by cultivating a campus-wide environment for celebrating multiculturalism and diversity, and to instill in all our community members an appreciation for the similarities and differences that we encounter as citizens of the world. It's part of our Franciscan values, part of what it means to be a Franciscan university.

Here are some of the ways in which diversity is cultivated at St. Bonaventure:

Damietta Center
Named after the place where St. Francis met the sultan, the Damietta Center hosts programs, services and facilities that celebrate the diversity of our students, faculty and staff. Student groups include the Black Student Union, Latino Student Union, ASIA (Asian Students In Action), SPECTRUM, VOICES, and the SBU Step Team. Click for more.

embrace it Africa
embrace it Africa is a fundraising campaign that is a year-round effort designed to encourage others to embrace the people, community and problems of Bethlehem, Uganda. By giving out micro-loans from their financial agency, embrace it Africa is able to help boost business throughout the community. Click for more.

Franciscan Center For Social Concern
The Franciscan Center for Social Concern works with faculty and students to address issues of social concern in their courses while also seeking to instill in the entire campus community a consciousness of the human and spiritual needs of all people and an urgency to right social wrongs. Click for more.

Higher Education Opportunity Program
The Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program, jointly sponsored with New York state, assists in providing access for all New Yorkers to the state's private colleges and universities. Click for more.

Mt. Irenaeus Franciscan Mountain Retreat
Mt. Irenaeus, located in the hills in nearby Allegany County, includes as part of its mission a belief that we are one with all people and cultures. It strives to create a community where all may live in peace. Click for more.

Service Learning Programs
A number of volunteer programs offer students the chance to step off campus and into the lives of others, particularly those in need. Many see it as an opportunity to help bring the world together. Click for more.

Spectrum
Spectrum is an organization that addresses issues affecting the gay and lesbian community as well as diversity issues as a whole, aiming for a greater all-around atmosphere of acceptance on campus. Click for more.

University Ministries
This team of ministers strives to create a community in which all members live well with one another, celebrating life together and championing justice and peace. Click for more.

Women's Studies Program
Through the prism of a woman’s perspective, the Women's Studies Program promotes an appreciation of human differences by exploring matters of gender, race, ethnicity and class. Click for more.